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“After more than a decade in politics, state Sen. Dale Kooyenga is diving into a passion project that has nothing to do with bills or budgets. Instead, it's all about honoring those who served and sacrificed in America's wars.”
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Bill Glauber, along with photojournalist Mark Hoffman, tell the story behind the Hero Cards project.
Photo by Mark Hoffman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Wisconsin’s Morning News radio host Vince Vitrano sits down with Hero Cards CEO and Founder Dale Kooyenga to discuss the project, one week before Memorial Day 2022.
The first production run of Hero Cards is complete, and cards will be shipped in mid-May, 2022. Thanks to our printing and fulfillment partner THE MAREK GROUP (Waukesha), and to Letterhead Press, LLC (New Berlin) for their foil stamping expertise. Hero Cards are made in the USA.
Dale Kooyenga, CEO and Founder, Hero Cards Benefit Corporation
WAUKESHA, WISCONSIN – March 31, 2022 – A new, veteran-owned “Hero Cards” project has been launched, with an ambitious mission: To honor the sacrifices made by every member of the U.S. military, from the Revolutionary War to the present-day, who lost their lives while serving their country.
“If you ask a child about heroes, it’s likely their answer will include athletes, entertainers, or even comic book superheroes,” said Dale Kooyenga, Hero Cards Founder, CEO, and veteran of the War in Iraq. “We believe there’s a great need to teach students and adults alike about true heroes who, as Abraham Lincoln put it, gave ‘the last full measure of devotion’ for our freedom.”
To appeal to a younger audience, the Hero Cards project has two main components: Printed packs of 12 Hero Cards are mailed each month to members, along with a display box that holds a full year of cards. Each card has one fallen service member’s image and basic information along with a brief part of their story. The second component is a permanent online tribute with a more detailed narrative description for each Hero.
Printed packs of 12 Hero Cards are mailed each month to members, along with a display box that holds a full year of cards.
“As time goes on, there’s a risk that a fallen service member’s sacrifice gets reduced to a statistic on a government report,” says Craig Du Mez, CMO and Co-Founder. “After a generation or two, the only remembrance besides that could be a name on a gravestone. The sacrifices made to purchase our freedoms are made by real people with real families who have real stories. We’re looking to present those stories in a compelling way, to ensure the true heroes are never forgotten.”
To achieve its educational mission, Hero Cards will employ veterans to do research, write, and create artwork for fallen service members with no known historical images. Besides hiring veterans as content developers, a portion of Hero Cards’ revenue will support various veteran-focused non-profit organizations. Memberships can be purchased or given as gifts from the company’s website: www.herocards.us.
About Hero Cards
Hero Cards Benefit Corporation is veteran-owned and is committed to having more than 50% of its employees be current Guardsmen, Reservists, or Veterans. Our Mission is to honor the sacrifices made by every member of the U.S. military who lost their life while serving. We are creating a Hero Card for every fallen service member, and a permanent online archive to preserve each of their stories for future generations. Hero Cards are designed and made in the USA. For more information, visit www.herocards.us.
